Method of forming chain-stitch seams.



- C. P. HOLMES. METHOD 0F FORMING CHAIN STITCH SEAMS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG 28, 1909.

Patented June 25, 1912.

coLuMmA PLANOGRAPM co,.wAsH|NaTON. n.1'.

CHARLES P. HOLMES, OE LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR TO SIDNEY W. WINSLOW, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF FORMING CHAN-STITCH SEAMS.

To all who/m, it may concern:

Be it known that CHARLES P. HOLMES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county ot' Essex and State oi Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Forming Chain-Stitch Scams; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an improved method of `forming a chain stitch seam. The several steps of the impro-ved method are such that they can readily be performed by suitable thread handling devices either embodied in a sewing machine and operated automatically or held in the hands of a Workman and operated manually.

The manner in which the thread is inanipulated in accordance With the present invention and the advantages secured thereby will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying dravving in Which the Figures l to 6 inclusive, illustrate somewhat diagrammatically a chain stitch seam formed by the method of t-he present invention connecting the insole, upper and Welt of a shoe, and the preferred manner of performing the several steps of the method.

Referring to the drawings l indicates the insole, 2 the upper and 3 the Welt of a shoe.

t indicates the thread Which is being manipulated in accordance With the preferred manner of practicing the present invention to forma chain stitch seam connecting the Welt, upper and insole.

5 indicates a hooked or barbed needle and 6 a gripping device which may be conveniently employed in manipulating the thread.

Fig. l illustrates the positions ot the needle, gripping device and thread, prior to the operation of exerting a stitch setting strain on the seam, Fig. 2, the positions after the stitch setting strain has been applied and Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, the positions during the steps of drawing a loop of thread Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 28, 1909.

Patented J une 25, 19i2.

Serial No. 515,059.

through the materials and through a previously formed loop and shortening the preceding loop. The steps constituting the method are taken in regular order and are repeated until a seam having the desired number of stitches is completed. Any step may therefore be considered the first step of the method but for convenience of description the method may be considered as beginning With the step of drawing a loop oi" thread through the materials and through a previously formed loop.

Starting with the parts in the positions illustrated in Fig. 2 in which figure the `needle is shown as through a previously formed loop and through the materials, with 'the previously formed loop drawn tight around the needle, a loop of thread, indi cated at 7 in Fig. 3, is measured off on'the supply side of the work suiiicient in length to form one side ot' the loop oi thread drawn .through the Work by the needle. The thread is then laid in the hook of the needle and the needle is retracted, drawing a loop oi" thread through the materials and through the previously formed loop as indicated in Fig. a. Preferably the needle retracts a suiiicient distance to draiv the thread taut around the between substance S of the insole but Without exerting any appreciable strain thereon suiiicient to compress the between substance. The side 9 of the loop drawn up by the needle, which side leads to the preceding loop and may therefore be called the Work side, is now gripped by the gripping device 6, as indicated in Fig. 4L, and the gripping device is retracted as indicated in FiO. 5 so as to exert a pull on the Work side ot the loop in the general direction of the previously formed seam. At the same time preferably the supply end l of the thread is relieved of tension so that the supply side 11 of the loop drawn up by the needle offers no appreciable resistance to the shortening ot the preceding-loop l2. The preceding loop l2 is thus shortened so that its end lies back of the last needle hole and during` this shortening ot the loop 12 no injurious strain is brought upon the thread, the needle or the materials being sewed.

In the preferred manner of manipulating needle as is`clearly shown in Fig. 5 so that there is no liability of the thread becoming disengaged from the barb of the needle. After the preceding loop 12 has been shortened to the desired extent, as above described, the work side of the loop drawn out by the needle is released by the gripping device and the needle and work are given a relative movement to bring them int-o the position illustrated in Fig. 6. Then the needle is passed down through the loop and through the materials at the point where the next loop is to be drawn. As the needle starts down toward the work, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, a pull is preferably exerted on the supply end lO of the thread so as to keep taut the loop extending around the needle and thereby prevent thread from being drawn back from the work side of the loop into the preceding loop when the supply end of the thread is pulled upon to exert a stitch setting strain on the seam as hereinafter described. The 4needle and thread now have the relative positions indicated in Fig. l, in which figure it will be seen that the last formed loop extends around the needle 5 and passes through the previously formed loop. A pull is now exerted on the supply end 10 of the thread and the last formed loop is drawn tightly around the needle. By reason `of the fact that the previously formed loop is shorter than the distance between two needle holes, it is drawn forward as indicated in Fig. 2, the between substance, upper, and welt are tightly compressed without any injurious reeving of the thread around the materials, the end of the preceding loop is drawn down onto the materials, and a stitch setting strain is exerted upon the seam.

It will be noted that the loop preceding the loop drawn out by the needle is shortened accurately to the desired extent without exerting any injurious strain upon the needle, thread or materials, and that the materials are compressed and the stitches of the seam drawn tight by thc pull exerted on the supply end of the thread after subA` stantially all of the slack thread has been removed from the loop preceding the loop drawn out by the needle. A tight seam can thus be produced without the use of an excessive tension and without liability of injury to the materials. The seam will contain no loose thread and the loops of the chain will be drawn into such a position that they will remain permanently in place.

lVhile in the preceding description the step of shortening the preceding loop has been described as being performed by gripping and pulling upon the work side of the needle loop, it is to be understood that this step of the method broadly considered is not limited to this particular manner of operating upon the needle loop but contemplates acting on the needle loop in any suitable manner in the general direction of the previously formed seam to shorten the preceding loop. It is also to be understood that the step of acting on the needle loop while the supply end of the thread is relieved of tension to shorten the preceding loop constitutes a feat-ure of the invention which may be used in connection with means other than those hereinbefore described for exerting a stitch setting strain on the seam.

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated and the preferred mannei1 of practicing the invention having been described, what is claimed is l. That improvement in the art of forming a chain stitch seam which consists in drawing a loop of thread through the niaterials to be sewed and through a previously formed loop, acting on the last formed loop in the general direct-ion of the previously formed seam while the supply end of the thread is relieved of tension to shorten the preceding loop back of the point at which the last loop was drawn through the material, and thereafter pulling the preceding loop forward to exert a stitch setting strain on the seam.

2. That improvement in the art of forming a chain stitch seam which consists in drawing a loop of thread through the materials to be sewed and through a previously formed loop, acting on the last formed loop in the general direction of the previously formed seam while the supply end of the thread is relieved of tension to shorten the preceding loop, inserting an instrument through the last formed loop and through the materials at the point where the next loop is to be drawn, and pulling on the supply end of the thread to'draw the last formed loop tightly around the instrument and exert a stitch set-ting strain on the seam.

3. That improvement in the art of forming a chain stitch, seam which consists in drawing a loop of thread through the materials to be sewed and through a previously formed loop, gripping the work side of the last formed loop and exerting a pull thereon in the general direction of the previously formed seam to shorten the preceding loop, inserting an instrument through the last formed loop and through the materials at the point where the next loop is to be drawn,

and pulling on the supply end of the thread to draw the last formed loop tightly around the instrument and exert a stitch setting strain on the seam.

..That improvement in the art of forming a chain stitch seam which consists in drawing a loop of thread through the materials to be sewed and through a previously formed loop, gripping the Work side of the thereafter pulling the preceding loop forlast formedloop zmd pulling thereon in the Ward to exert a stitch setting strain on the general direction of the previously formed seam.

seam While the supply end of the thread is CHARLES P. HOLMES. relieved of tension to shorten the preceding Witnesses:

loop back of the point at which the last FRED O. FISH,

loop was drawn lthrough the material, and MARGARET L. GILMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

